U.S. patent number 10,982,513 [Application Number 16/271,004] was granted by the patent office on 2021-04-20 for integrated loading tube.
This patent grant is currently assigned to SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION. The grantee listed for this patent is Schlumberger Technology Corporation. Invention is credited to Stephen D'Mello, Rucha Deshmukh, Ashutosh Gupta, Hari Prakash Kalakonda, Andrew Prisbell.
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United States Patent |
10,982,513 |
Gupta , et al. |
April 20, 2021 |
Integrated loading tube
Abstract
The present disclosure provides a loading tube to be used in a
perforating gun. The loading tube is capable of securely engaging
with shaped charges while maintaining the structural integrity and
being made by injection molding.
Inventors: |
Gupta; Ashutosh (Pune,
IN), D'Mello; Stephen (Pune, IN), Prisbell;
Andrew (Rosharon, TX), Kalakonda; Hari Prakash (Pune,
IN), Deshmukh; Rucha (Pune, IN) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Schlumberger Technology Corporation |
Sugar Land |
TX |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY
CORPORATION (Sugar Land, TX)
|
Family
ID: |
1000005499468 |
Appl.
No.: |
16/271,004 |
Filed: |
February 8, 2019 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20200256167 A1 |
Aug 13, 2020 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E21B
43/117 (20130101); E21B 43/119 (20130101); F42D
1/22 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E21B
43/117 (20060101); E21B 43/119 (20060101); F42D
1/22 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;89/1.15,1.151
;175/2,4.51,4.57 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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|
|
3044516 |
|
Jul 2018 |
|
CA |
|
0132330 |
|
Jan 1985 |
|
EP |
|
2561828 |
|
Sep 2015 |
|
RU |
|
2001096807 |
|
Dec 2001 |
|
WO |
|
2012135101 |
|
Oct 2012 |
|
WO |
|
Other References
H-2 Perforating System, Titan division, 2019 (1 page). cited by
applicant .
Titan H2 Perforating Gun System, (2019) 2 pages, Link:
https://www.oilfieldtechnology.com/product-news/07022019/hunting-introduc-
es-h-2-perforating-system/. cited by applicant .
International Search Report and Written Opinion issued in the PCT
Application PCT/US2020/032879, dated Aug. 28, 2020 (10 pages).
cited by applicant.
|
Primary Examiner: Weber; Jonathan C
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Sneddon; Cameron R.
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. A loading tube to be used in a perforating gun, comprising: a
first tubular section divided along an axis of the first tubular
section into an upper component and a lower component, such that
the upper and lower component, when snap-fit together, form the
first tubular section, the first tubular section housing a booster
for the perforating gun; at least one second tubular section
divided along an axis of the second tubular section into an upper
component and a lower component, such that the upper and lower
component, when snap-fit together form the second tubular section
and a plurality of cavities to hold shaped charges, the at least
one second tubular section connected to the first tubular section
when the first tubular section upper and lower components are
snap-fit together; and a third section connected to the at least
one second tubular section when the second tubular section upper
and lower components are snap-fit together.
2. The loading tube of claim 1, wherein the first section, the at
least one second section, and the third section are made from
moldable materials.
3. The loading tube of claim 1, wherein the first section, the at
least one second section, and the third section are made from
plastic, high density polystyrene, or high density
polyethylene.
4. The loading tube of claim 1, wherein the first section, the at
least one second section, and the third section are made by
injection molding.
5. The loading tube of claim 1, wherein the first section, the at
least one second section, and the third section are made by 3D
printing.
Description
FIELD OF INVENTION
The disclosure relates to the field of hydrocarbon well
perforation. More specifically, apparatus and methods of loading
shaped charge within perforating guns are disclosed.
BACKGROUND
When a hydrocarbon well is drilled, a casing may be placed in the
well to line and seal the wellbore. Cement is then pumped down the
well under pressure and forced up the outside of the casing until
the well column is also sealed. This casing process: (a) ensures
that the well is isolated, (b) prevents uncontrolled migration of
subsurface fluids between different well zones, and (c) provides a
conduit for installing production tubing in the well. However, to
connect the inside of the casing and wellbore with the inside of
the formation to allow for hydrocarbon flow from the formation to
the inside of the casing, holes are formed through the casing and
into the wellbore. This practice is commonly referred to as
perforating of the casing and formation. Open-hole wells are also
possible, i.e., where a casing is not used and jetting, fracturing
or perforation is directly applied to the formation.
To perform a perforation operation, a loading tube carrying a
plurality of shaped charges is inserted into a hollow gun carrier.
The assembled gun body containing the loading tube with the
plurality of shaped charges mounted therein is lowered into the
wellbore and positioned opposite the subsurface formation to be
perforated. Initiation signals are then passed from a surface
location through a wireline to one or more blasting caps located in
the gun body, thereby causing detonation of the blasting caps. The
exploding blasting caps in turn transfer a detonating wave to a
detonator cord which further causes the shaped charges to detonate.
The detonated shaped charges form an energetic stream of
high-pressure gases and high velocity particles, which perforates
the well casing and the adjacent formation to form perforation
tunnels. The hydrocarbons and/or other fluids trapped in the
formation flow into the tunnels, into the casing through the
orifices cut in the casing, and up the casing to the surface for
recovery.
Prior to perforating, the target wells are studied to determine the
most advantageous phase angles and spacing of the perforations. The
desired orientation may be selected based on the possibility of
sand production, based on the heavy overburden pressure and/or
shear stress existing, or based on the location of control lines
and/or other downhole equipment and tools. The loading tubes are
then manufactured to hold the shaped charges at the predetermined
phase angles and spacing.
Conventional loading tubes are formed of steel tubes in which the
shaped charges are secured. metal, A pattern of cutouts is machined
into the loading tube for holding the shaped charges in the desired
orientation. Commonly, the loading tube uses plastic jackets to
hold the shaped charges to the cut metal loading tube, because of
the relatively good shock protection. However, the plastic jackets
add manufacturing cost to the perforating gun. Alternatively, the
loading tube has metal tabs cut out on the loading tube to
facilitate the mounting of the shaped charges.
Machining the steel loading tubes to mount the shaped charges in
the desired orientations adds to the overall manufacturing cost of
the perforating guns. This particularly true for orientations of
increased complexity.
What is needed is an improved, method and apparatus for
manufacturing loading tubes more efficiently and at reduced
cost.
SUMMARY
This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts that
are further described below in the detailed description. However,
many modifications are possible without materially departing from
the teachings of this disclosure. Accordingly, such modifications
are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure as
defined in the claims. This summary is not intended to identify key
or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it
intended to be used as an aid in limiting the scope of the claimed
subject matter.
An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a loading tube to
be used in a perforating gun, comprising: a hollow tube to hold a
detonating cord; and a plurality of holding structures affixed to
the hollow tube. In this embodiment, the plurality of holding
structures is spaced at a predetermined distance and phase angle
from the next of the plurality of holding structures, and wherein
each of the holding structures is adapted to securely engage a
shaped charge.
Another embodiment of the present disclosure provides a loading
tube to be used in a perforating gun, comprising: a first section
having an upper component and a lower component snap-fit together,
the first section housing a booster for the perforating gun; at
least one second section having an upper component and a lower
component snap-fit together to form a plurality of cavities to hold
shaped charges; and a third section snap-fit together.
Yet another embodiment of the present disclosure provides a
perforating gun, comprising: a hollow gun carrier; and a loading
tube for carrying shaped charges, the loading tube mounted within
the hollow gun carrier; wherein the loading tube is made from
plastic, high density polystyrene, or high density
polyethylene.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Certain embodiments of the disclosure will hereafter be described
with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference
numerals denote like elements. It is emphasized that, in accordance
with standard practice in the industry, various features are not
drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of various features may be
arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity of discussion. It
should be understood, however, that the accompanying figures
illustrate the various implementations described herein and are not
meant to limit the scope of various technologies described herein,
and:
FIG. 1 shows a cross section of a conventional hollow carrier
perforating gun carrier;
FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an embodiment of the perforating gun
using the loading tube of the present disclosure;
FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the embodiment the perforating gun
illustrated in FIG. 2, with the hollow gun carrier removed;
FIG. 4 shows a more detailed view of the top section of the loading
tube, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the top section of the
embodiment of the loading tube shown in FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the components of the top section of
the loading tube illustrated in FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a detailed view of an embodiment of an anti-rotation
connection, in accordance with the present disclosure;
FIG. 8 is an exploded of an embodiment of the intermediate section
of the loading tube of the present disclosure;
FIG. 9 is a partially enlarged view of and embodiment of the
intermediate section of the loading tube of the present
disclosure;
FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged view of the connection between the
bottom section of the loading tube and a subsequent perforating
gun, in accordance with the present disclosure;
FIG. 11 shows another embodiment of the perforating gun carrier
with a skeletal loading tube;
FIG. 12 shows an embodiment of the skeletal loading tube having a
plurality of holding structures integrally formed with a hollow
tube;
FIG. 13 shows another embodiment of the skeletal loading tube of
this disclosure; and
FIG. 14 shows another embodiment of the skeletal loading tube of
this disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In the following description, numerous details are set forth to
provide an understanding of some embodiments of the present
disclosure. It is to be understood that the following disclosure
provides many different embodiments, or examples, for implementing
different features of various embodiments. Specific examples of
components and arrangements are described below to simplify the
disclosure. These are, of course, merely examples and are not
intended to be limiting. In addition, the disclosure may repeat
reference numerals and/or letters in the various examples. This
repetition is for purposes of simplicity and clarity and does not
in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments
and/or configurations discussed. However, it will be understood by
those of ordinary skill in the art that the system and/or
methodology may be practiced without these details and that
numerous variations or modifications from the described embodiments
are possible. This description is not to be taken in a limiting
sense, but rather made merely for purposes of describing general
principles of the implementations. The scope of the described
implementations should be ascertained with reference to the issued
claims.
As used herein, the terms "connect", "connection", "connected", "in
connection with", and "connecting" are used to mean "in direct
connection with" or "in connection with via one or more elements";
and the term "set" is used to mean "one element" or "more than one
element". Further, the terms "couple", "coupling", "coupled",
"coupled together", and "coupled with" are used to mean "directly
coupled together" or "coupled together via one or more elements".
As used herein, the terms "up" and "down"; "upper" and "lower";
"top" and "bottom"; and other like terms indicating relative
positions to a given point or element are utilized to more clearly
describe some elements.
In this disclosure, unless the context requires otherwise,
throughout the specification and claims which follow, the word
"comprise" and variations thereof, such as, "comprises" and
"comprising" are to be construed in an open, inclusive sense, that
is as "including, but not limited to."
In this disclosure, reference to "one embodiment" or "an
embodiment" means that a particular feature or features,
structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable
manner in one or more implementations or one or more
embodiments.
In this disclosure, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include
plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It
should also be noted that the term "or" is generally employed in
its broadest sense, that is, as meaning "and/or" unless the content
clearly dictates otherwise.
The headings and Abstract of the disclosure provided herein are for
convenience only and do not interpret the scope or meaning of the
embodiments.
FIG. 1 shows a cross section of a conventional hollow carrier
perforating gun carrier 10. The conventional perforating gun
carrier 10 comprises a loading tube 12, a shaped charge 14 fitting
into a jacket 16, and two ballistic transfer plastics 18 that
connect to each end of the loading tube 12. The hollow carrier 10
is made of pressure-tight steel tubes, on which a plurality of
cutouts 13 having the shape matching that of the jacket 16 are
formed, in order to receive the jacket 16 and the shaped charge 14.
In a typical loading tube, the jackets 16 are made of plastic to
hold and mount the shaped charges 14 inside the cutouts 13, or in
some cases metal tabs are cut out from the loading tube 12 to
facilitate the mounting of the shaped charges 14. The ballistic
transfer plastics 18 are essential for precise detonation of the
shaped charges 14.
FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an embodiment of the perforating gun
using a loading tube 110 of the present disclosure, and FIG. 3 is a
similar view except the gun carrier 100 has been removed to better
illustrate the loading tube 110. The following discussion is made
with reference to both FIGS. 2 and 3.
The perforating gun of the present disclosure comprises a gun
carrier 100 having a loading tube 110 housed therein. The gun
carrier 100 is flanked by an adapter 112 on each end. A plurality
of holding structures 104' are formed along the loading tube 110.
It is to be noted that the location of these holding structures
104' are arranged according to a predetermined phase angle and
spacing in order to achieve the intended perforation orientation.
The loading tube 110 comprises a hollow core suitable for an
integrated ballistic transfer for the capability of more precise
detonation of the shaped charges mounted within the holding
structures 104'.
In the illustrated embodiment of the present disclosure, the
loading tube 110 is divided into three sections, namely a bottom
section 114, an intermediate section 116, and a top section 118. In
embodiments of the present disclosure, the length of the loading
tube 110 can be adjusted by adding one or more intermediate
sections 116. For example, if the length of each intermediate
section 116 is one foot (1 ft), then it would require twenty (20)
intermediate sections 116 to make a twenty foot (20 ft) loading
tube 110.
Referring now to FIG. 4, which shows the details of the top section
118 of the loading tube 110. A portion of the intermediate section
116 is shown in FIG. 4 to illustrate the relationship and
connection between the top section 118 and the intermediate
sections 116.
In order to facilitate manufacturing, the top section 118 is
further divided into an upper component 120 and a lower component
122 that together form a complete tubular top section 118. In
embodiments of the present disclosure, the upper component 120 and
lower component 122 are made from plastic, high density
polystyrene, or any other equivalent material that can be
manufactured in many ways, with high quantity and low processing
time, such as injection molding or 3D printing.
The upper component 120 may be securely coupled to the lower
component 122 through, for example, snap-fit structures 124. It
should be understood, however, that other types of secure coupling
such as fasteners or clips may also be used and remain within the
scope of the present disclosure.
Pins 128 are provided to maintain the orientation and alignment of
the key spring 126 on the upper component 120. A key spring 126 on
the top section 118 of the loading tube 110 will sit in the key way
of the gun carrier 100, so as to align the loading tube 118 with
the carrier 100.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of the top
section 118 of the loading tube 110 shown in FIG. 4. As can be seen
in FIG. 5, a booster 132 is connected to a detonation cord 134
within the hollow core formed between the upper component 120 and
the lower component 122 of the loading tube 118. The ballistic
transfer from one perforating gun to another will be transferred
through the detonation cord 134, which is securely housed within
the hollow core 129 of the top section 118. As illustrated, the top
section 118 of the loading tube 110 is designed in such a way that
the booster 132 is secured in place while maintaining the booster
to booster gap, which is required for successful ballistic
transfer.
FIG. 6 is an exploded view illustrating the way in which the
components of the top section 118 of the loading tube 110 are
connected. Additionally shown in FIG. 6 is a shaped charge 104 for
mounting within the holding structure 104'.
An anti-rotation connection 130 (shown in detailed view in FIG. 7)
is provided between the top section 118 and the intermediate
section 116. For example, the upper and lower components 120, 122
of the top section 118 can each have a receiving structure 121, 123
that, when combined together, will tightly engage with a flange 131
of the intermediate section 116. The connection is designed such
that the rotation between the top intermediate sections 118,116 can
be prevented. This anti-rotation feature is important to maintain
the phase angle of each of the holding structures 104' for the
respective shaped charges 104. This is especially important when
more than one intermediate section 116 is employed to extend the
length of the loading tube 110.
An embodiment of the intermediate section 116 of the present
disclosure is shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9. FIG. 8 is an exploded
view of the intermediate section 116, and FIG. 9 is a partially
enlarged view of the intermediate section 116. As with the top
section, in order to facilitate manufacturability, the intermediate
section 116 is divided into an upper component 138 and a lower
component 140. In embodiments of the present disclosure, the upper
component 138 and lower component 140 are made from plastic, high
density polystyrene, or any other equivalent material that can be
manufactured in many ways, with high quantity and low processing
time, such as injection molding or 3D printing.
In the embodiment shown, the upper component 138 and the lower
component 140 can be securely joined together by known mechanical
structures, such as snap fit, to form a tubular structure with a
plurality of cavities that act as holding structures 104' for the
shaped charges. The holding structures 104' secure the charges in
place with one or more snap structures 144. Similar to the top
section 118, these holding structures 104' are provided on the
intermediate section 116 according to the predetermined phase angle
and di stance.
As shown in FIG. 9, the intermediate section 116 has one or more
guide features 142 provided to guide the detonation cord 134. The
guide features 142 ensure that the detonation cord 134 remains in
contact with each of the shaped charges carried on the loading tube
110.
An anti-rotation connection 141 between the intermediate section
116 and the bottom section 114, similar to that between the top and
intermediate sections 118, 116, can also be provided to prevent any
rotation.
FIG. 10 illustrates a partially enlarged view of the connection
between the bottom section 114 and the next perforating gun (not
shown). As can be seen in FIG. 10, a key spring 146 is provided in
the key way of the carrier to align the loading tube 110 with the
perforating gun carrier 100. Again, pins 148 are provided to
maintain the position of the key spring 146. A similar
anti-rotation mechanism can also be provided.
In the embodiments discussed above, the loading tube 110 and its
various components are made from materials that can be molded such
as plastic, high density polystyrene or equivalent material. The
resulting loading tube 110 can be manufactured at low cost and the
components are easily assembled. Additionally, the cavities or
holding structures 104' are formed through assembly and have a
similar profile to match the shape of the shaped charges 104. By
combining the loading tube 110 and the shaped charge jackets, the
manufacturing cost is further reduced. The integration of the
ballistic transfer features in the top section 118 and the bottom
section 114 of the loading tube 110 eliminates the need for
separate parts to secure the booster in place for ballistic
transfer.
FIG. 11 shows another embodiment of the loading tube of the present
disclosure. In this embodiment, the loading tube mounted within the
hollow gun carrier 100 is a skeletal loading tube 150 having a
plurality of shaped charges 104. In the embodiment shown, the wall
100a of the gun carrier 100 may have one or more scallops aligned
with the shaped charges 104. But it is understood that gun carriers
100 without scallops may also be used with embodiments of the
skeletal loading tube 150 of the present invention.
FIG. 12 shows a more detailed view of an embodiment of a skeletal
loading tube 150 of the present disclosure having a plurality of
holding structures 152 integrally formed with a hollow tube 154
that allows the detonating cord (not shown) to contact each of the
shaped charges 104 to pass and transfer ballistic shock to them.
The holding structures 152, or cavities, have profiles to match the
shaped charges 104 to be mounted therein. The orientation of each
holding structure 152 is predetermined according to the preferred
phase angles of the shaped charges 104. Each of the holding
structures 152 may have one or more locking tabs 156 such that once
the shaped charge 104 is inserted, the locking tab 156 secures the
shaped charge 104 to the skeletal loading tube 150 in the correct
orientation.
FIG. 13 shows another embodiment of the skeletal loading tube 150
of the present disclosure. As can be seen in FIG. 13, the skeletal
loading tube 150 in this embodiment comprises the holding
structures 152 integrally formed with the hollow tube 154 that
allows the detonating cord to pass therethrough. This embodiment
further comprises plastic clips 158.
In this embodiment, each holding structure 152 is sized and shaped
to receive a shaped charge 104. Once in place, the protrusions 155
of the holding structures 152 engage, or are engaged by, the
plastic clips 158 to lock the shaped charge 104 in place within the
holding structure. In this embodiment, three clips 158 are shown.
However, in other embodiments, depending on the size and shape of
the shaped charge, any number of clips 158 may be used and remain
within the purview of the present disclosure.
FIG. 14 shows another embodiment of the skeletal loading tube 150
of this disclosure. As seen in FIG. 14, the skeletal loading tube
150 consists of two parts: a plurality of jackets 162 that are
mounted on a hollow tube 154. A snap mechanism is provided on the
bottom of the jacket 162, such that when the jacket 162 is inserted
into the cutouts 160 formed on the hollow tube 154, the jacket 162
can stay in place. Similar to previous embodiments, the cutouts 160
in the hollow tube 154 enable proper phasing of the shaped charges
104.
Each jacket 162 further comprising a securing mechanism (such as
the tab 166) to secure the shaped charge 104 once the shaped charge
104 is inserted into the jacket 162. The detonating cord will pass
through the hollow tube 154 to contact each of the shaped charges
104 in order to transfer the ballistic shock to each of the shaped
charges 104.
In embodiments of the skeletal loading tube 150 of the present
disclosure, the loading tube 150 may be formed by molding a
material such as plastic, high density polystyrene or any other
equivalent material. The skeletal loading tube 150 may be formed by
methods such as injection molding or by 3D printing, for example.
In other embodiments, casting can also be an option to manufacture
the parts, depending on the materials used.
Although a few embodiments of the disclosure have been described in
detail above, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily
appreciate that many modifications are possible without materially
departing from the teachings of this disclosure. Accordingly, such
modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this
disclosure as defined in the claims. The scope of the invention
should be determined only by the language of the claims that
follow. The term "comprising" within the claims is intended to mean
"including at least" such that the recited listing of elements in a
claim are an open group. The terms "a," "an" and other singular
terms are intended to include the plural forms thereof unless
specifically excluded. In the claims, means-plus-function clauses
are intended to cover the structures described herein as performing
the recited function and not only structural equivalents, but also
equivalent structures. It is the express intention of the applicant
not to invoke 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 112, paragraph 6 for any limitations
of any of the claims herein, except for those in which the claim
expressly uses the words "means for" together with an associated
function.
* * * * *
References